Hello, this is Hayashi from the Marketing Department.
In this issue we would like to explain how to improve QCD, which is an indicator when considering business improvement, while introducing successful examples of workflow system utilization.
What is QCD Improvement?
QCD is an acronym for «Quality,» «Cost,» and «Delivery,» three important elements in quality control in the manufacturing industry. Today however, it is widely known as a perspective that can be applied not only in the manufacturing industry, but also in business and daily life.
QCD improvement refers to the following points:
- Quality, from low to high
- Cost, from high to low
- Delivery (time), from slow to fast
This framework can be applied to all industries, not just manufacturing.
We won’t drop the «Q» level
Incidentally, the most important aspect of QCD is the «Q», or quality. In the manufacturing industry, it represents the quality of products, and in the service industry, it represents the quality of services.
It goes without saying that the basic premise of QCD improvement is that…
- Quality must not be compromised
For example, even if cost and delivery time are improved, customer satisfaction will decrease if the product breaks down quickly or is poorly made.
Can’t «C» and «D» be Improved at the Same Time?
On the other hand, the «C» and «D» in QCD are said to be difficult to improve at the same time.
Taking Beaujolais Nouveau wine as an example, if it is delivered by air, it will be delivered on the day the wine is released but it will be expensive. On the other hand, those delivered by sea take longer but are less expensive. It is difficult to achieve both speed and affordability here, and if you try to force delivery to be fast but inexpensive, you may end up compromising the quality of the wine you purchase.
As described above, the three elements in QCD have a deep influence on each other. Therefore, it is important to promote improvement while maintaining a balance in overall QCD. In the next section we will introduce a successful example of balanced QCD improvement using a workflow system.
Examples of Balanced QCD Improvements
Let us look at the case of Sanshin Electronics Co., Ltd as a concrete example of QCD improvement.
The company had originally used a paper-based system for order management, but the problem was that when paper documents were input into Excel and other systems, transcription errors occurred and the speed of internal approvals was slow. In addition, printing and storing paper documents was time-consuming and costly.
The company introduced Questetra BPM Suite, a cloud-based workflow system, to automate operations and make them paperless, and achieved the following results.
- Reduced input effort and errors: improved quality
- Reduce administrative costs by 50%: lower costs
- Shortened time from application to approval: faster delivery
The first benefit is that data that used to be entered into multiple systems and Excel for documentation can now be entered only into Questetra BPM Suite. The workflow system’s features such as automatic entry and automatic PDF generation have also been helpful in reducing time and errors.
The second is the effect of reducing labor and costs related to printing and storing documents by going paperless.
The third benefit is that Questetra BPM Suite is a cloud-based system, which allows easy access to the same system used in the office from anywhere as long as there is an internet connection. The company had been unable to process applications and approvals when the applicant and approver were out of the office, and in some cases it took several days for the documents to be stamped. However, with Questetra BPM Suite, applications and approvals can now be done outside of the office, so there is no longer a backlog of applications in the company.
Looking at the case study as a whole, it can be seen that QCD was improved in a well-balanced manner.
The Role of Workflow Systems in QCD Improvement
We hope you have understood the effectiveness of Questetra BPM Suite, a cloud-based workflow system, in improving QCD from the examples described in the previous section.
A workflow system is software that allows you to easily diagram the flow of business operations on a PC and automatically proceed with operations according to the diagram you have created. A workflow system can be very useful in this type of process.
For example, if the workflow is visualized as a diagram, points for improvement will be easier to find. In addition, when verifying the balance of QCD, data such as the time taken to process work stored in the workflow system will be helpful.
Incidentally, Questetra BPM Suite is also available on a free trial basis. Why don’t you take this opportunity to start improving your QCD with Questetra BPM Suite?
▼ You can also apply for a free trial here ▼
